Archive for April, 2011

Okay, so I mentioned a while back that I’m not the biggest fan of American Idol, I don’t watch it regularly, I’m not a Twitter tweeter, etc. But this year has been really good and I (personally) think it’s probably the most talented cast that I’ve ever seen (from the few seasons I did watch). There are tons of talented kids (yes, they’re mostly kids I don’t think there’s anyone over 25 – Man, do I make myself sound old!!) and a few I could live without.

And by far, one of the biggest (if not biggest) contenders this year has been Pia Toscano. (Last week’s eliminated 16 year old Thia Megia was really the only competition, vocally speaking). Pia can certainly carry a tune, has INCREDIBLE range and can hold a note long enough to give Carrie Underwood a run for her money. Sadly, last night Pia was eliminated. And to say the least, to viewers and judges, it was *shocking*.

Now, Pia wasn’t my favorite contender, I’m rooting for Casey Abrams (Blair and my mom love James Durbin). And I really like Scotty and Paul. Scotty is young and has that deep country thing happening, while Paul is just….unique. He’s like a little spazzed bird. There’s something about him.
But for the entirety I’ve been cheering on Casey.

(For the record I can’t stand Haley. I think she’s mediocre and there’s something so annoying about her that makes me want to punch her in the face. And Jacob Lusk? I just don’t get it. Really, I don’t think he’s that great of a singer. I think he’s over the top and a DIVA. Yes. DIVA!)

But last night, I sorta beamed when Pia was told she’d be going home. Reflecting on it now, I feel bad. She’s a talented talented talented singer and yes, she’s very beautiful. And I believe my jealousy and insecurities got the best of me last night. As if not having to watch her week after week would make me feel better about myself. So, I’m sorry Pia, you did not deserve to be eliminated based on my jealousy. (As if that were the only reason responsible for her departure.)

I think the judges called it right (tho, I found it insulting that they ridiculed America (thank goodness I’m Canadian)…the voters got it wrong. Haley, Jacob, even Stafano should have gone home this week (I’ll admit, however, that tho I can’t stand her, Haley’s rendition of Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” was impressive this week). The voters did indeed get it wrong. And those who didn’t vote (those who actually care) and are now screaming conspiracy and demanding that someone else step down, well, those fans should have voted.

My jealousy and self-esteem issues aside, what it comes down to is simply that it is a competition with only one contestant able to walk away as the winner. Someone has to go each week. But again, I’ll admit that Pia shouldn’t have left this early on. And I’m sorry that I found glee in her demise last night. 😦

Last night I came home from visiting with my parents, the wee monkeys and my S-I-L, Cat, and then stopped for a few groceries. When I arrived home it was sprinkling a bit and nearly dark.

As I am approaching my door and about to step onto the wooden threshold to unlock my door, I gasped and jumped back. There, right in front of me AND my door was the biggest friggin’ frog I’ve ever seen. Seriously, it was huge. And ugly. And gross. Ick. Yuck. *shudder*

I asked him nicely to move away. I told him he didn’t live here. I tried to shoo him. But he wouldn’t budge. He just stared at me. So I put down some of my things and got the shovel and tried at first to scare him. But he didn’t scare easily. I told him I didn’t want to hurt him and asked him again nicely to please move. But he would not. So I tried to scoop him up with the shovel. I accidently banged one of his gross front legs. I said I was sorry. I TOLD him I didn’t want to hurt him. And I tried again. Well the little effer moved right into the corner of the damn door. Grrrr. I kept trying and pleading with him and finally I got him partway onto the shovel. THEN it happened…He leaped. Yikes. Off the shovel and onto the ground. I shrieked. And jumped. And dropped the rest of my stuff. He was still staring.

I quickly got the key in the lock and grabbed my things and got inside. I told him once again that I was sorry and told him to go away. Shoo. But he stayed in his spot.

Thankfully he was gone this morning. My mom and Blair both said that he could have been my prince. Pfft. Frig that. I don’t want a man who’s not going to listen and not gonna go home. That little bugger can go back to the ditch where he belongs.

You know how life throws little things at you sometimes….things that are reminders of who we are and who we’ve been and what we’ve done? Every once in a while those little things will pop into my head or into my life and make me take a step back and consider everything.

1. My nannie, my mom’s mom, was someone so important in my life. We were very close to her, I think all of the grandkids, but my brother and I were especially close to her and my grandfather since they lived two houses away. We grew up with almost a second set of parents. They were so gracious and so loving and so wonderful. And when we lost my nan to cancer in 1999 it was as if a little piece of life was stripped away from me; from all of us. She’s the one person I’ve lost who I still can’t think or talk about without shedding at least one tear.

Her memory lives on so vividly in me that often I will think of something that she had said or did and I will be so wrapped up in the moment and memory that I forget the reality of her being gone.

She had a great sense of humor and she cheated at cards – Yes! Even when playing with her beloved grandchildren. She, at one point, rode a moped. In the words of Rory Cochrane’s “Ron Slater”: “She was a hip, hip lady.”

I remember back in the 80’s there was a “Special K” jingle: “You can’t pinch an inch on me.” I sang it once and she something to the effect like “You can pinch a whole bunch of them on me” and she laughed and laughed. It was silly but every now and then I will think of that jingle and be reminded of her joke and I will smile at it and her.

2. Every year when spring rolls around and the sun begins to shine its warmth onto us I revert back to high school and how my friends and I would lay on the bleachers and bask in the glow of the upcoming summer. I reminisce of how I spent those glorious months off sleeping in, lazying around, having summer adventures with my friends. I miss those days. I LONG for those days again. Sometimes I really hate being a grown up.

3. Summer evenings take me back to my childhood when my brother and I would beg to stay up a little later and get to play outside under the stars. We would have so much fun playing hide and seek in the dark – with other neighbor kids. So much fun. Why can’t we still do that kind of stuff now? When we’re old?